15 Flowers to Plant in September for a Spring Full of Color

The best flowers to plant in September for spring color are hardy bulbs and cool-season plants: tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, alliums, snowdrops, anemones, pansies, hellebores and wallflowers. The small bulbs, the spring-flowering perennials and the cold-hardy bedding plants can all go in the ground in September.
Timing is the part to get right. Bulbs root best once the soil cools below 60°F (16°C). In cold zones 3 to 5 that happens in September. In zones 6 to 8, September is the time to buy and plan, and October is the time to plant most bulbs. In zones 9 and 10, tulips and hyacinths need 12 to 16 weeks of pre-chilling first.
Below you’ll find all 15 flowers with their zones, planting depth, spacing and bloom time, plus a plant-now-or-wait table for your zone.

Spring gardens are made in autumn. By the time the first crocus opens in March, the gardener who planted it has usually forgotten all about the chilly afternoon spent kneeling in the dirt with a trowel. September is when that afternoon begins, either as planting day or as the day you choose, buy and map out what goes where.

This list focuses on bulbs, corms and young plants. If you’d rather scatter seed, our guide to 15 spring-blooming flowers you should sow this fall covers larkspur, poppies, sweet peas and more. Use the two together for a garden that blooms from late winter into early summer.

1. Why September Is Planning (and Planting) Month

Spring-flowering bulbs need a long cold period to bloom. Over winter, the cold triggers changes inside the bulb that tell it to send up a flower stalk when the soil warms. Before that, they need a few weeks in cool, moist soil to grow roots. Plant too late and the roots don’t form before the ground freezes. Plant too early and warm soil can push leaves up in autumn, especially tulips.

The sweet spot, according to Rutgers Cooperative Extension, is mid-September through October, once the soil falls below 60°F. That’s why September means different things depending on where you live. A soil thermometer pushed 6 inches deep takes the guesswork out of it.

September is also the best month to buy. Garden centers and online suppliers have their full selection in stock, the bulbs are fresh and firm, and the most popular varieties haven’t sold out yet. Pick firm, heavy bulbs with no mold or soft spots. Bigger bulbs of the same variety give bigger flowers.

2. Plant Now or Wait? A September Timing Table by Zone

3. 15 Flowers to Plant in September

The list runs roughly in bloom order, from the first flowers of late winter to the last of late spring, so you can pick a few from each part of the list and keep color coming for three months or more. Depth is measured from the bottom of the bulb to the soil surface.

1. Crocus

• Zones 3–8
• Depth 3–4 in
• Spacing 2–3 in
• Blooms late winter to early spring

Crocus are often the first flowers of the year, pushing through lawns and even late snow. They’re also one of the first food sources for early bees on warm days. Plant them in generous drifts of 25 or more, or scatter them across a lawn and plant them where they land for a natural look. If you plant in grass, hold off mowing until the leaves turn yellow, usually about six weeks after bloom.

Watch out for: squirrels, which dig crocus up for a snack. See the pest section below.

2. Snowdrops (Galanthus)

• Zones 3–7
• Depth 3 in
• Spacing 3 in
• Blooms late winter

Snowdrops are the small nodding white bells that often flower while there’s still frost on the ground. They like light shade under deciduous trees and moist, humus-rich soil. Plant them as soon as you buy them: the small bulbs dry out quickly in storage, and dried-out snowdrops often fail. If a nursery offers them “in the green” (freshly lifted with leaves) in spring, that’s even more reliable.

3. Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica)

• Zones 2–8
• Depth 3–4 in
• Spacing 3 in
• Blooms early spring

Siberian squill has intense, electric-blue flowers on stems just a few inches tall, and it’s extremely cold-hardy. It spreads by seed into carpets over the years, which is lovely under trees and shrubs. Before planting, check your state’s invasive plant list: in some woodland areas of the Upper Midwest and Northeast, squill spreads into natural areas and is discouraged.

4. Windflower (Anemone blanda)

• Zones 4–8
• Depth 2–3 in
• Spacing 3–4 in
• Blooms early to mid spring

These small daisy-like flowers in blue, pink and white form a low carpet under taller daffodils and tulips. The tubers look like dry, knobbly pebbles. Soak them in water for a few hours before planting to wake them up. If you can’t tell which side is up, plant them on their side and they’ll sort themselves out.

5. Grape Hyacinth (Muscari)

• Zones 3–9
• Depth 3–4 in
• Spacing 3 in
• Blooms mid spring

Grape hyacinths have dense cones of tiny blue bells and a light, grapey scent. They’re cheap, tough and multiply fast, so they’re ideal for edging paths and making “rivers” of blue between larger bulbs. Don’t worry when grassy leaves appear in autumn soon after planting. That’s normal for Muscari, and the leaves shrug off winter cold.

6. Daffodils (Narcissus)

• Zones 3–9 (varies by type)
• Depth 6 in
• Spacing 4–6 in
• Blooms early to late spring

If you only plant one bulb, make it daffodils. They come back reliably for decades, multiply over time, and are toxic to deer, squirrels and voles, so animals leave them alone. By mixing early, mid-season and late varieties you can have daffodils in bloom for six weeks or more. Plant them with the pointed tip up in soil that drains well. Daffodils rot in soggy ground.

7. Hyacinths

• Zones 4–8
• Depth 6 in
• Spacing 5–6 in
• Blooms mid spring

Hyacinths are grown for their scent: one clump near a doorway can perfume a whole porch. Their chunky flower spikes are biggest in the first year and become looser and more natural in later years. Wear gloves when handling the bulbs, because their papery skins can irritate sensitive skin. Hyacinths are also one of the easiest bulbs to force indoors in a glass of water for winter blooms.

8. Checkered Lily (Fritillaria meleagris)

• Zones 3–8
• Depth 3–4 in
• Spacing 4 in
• Blooms mid spring

Checkered lilies have nodding purple-and-white bells with a chessboard pattern that looks almost unreal up close. Unlike most bulbs, they like moisture and do well in damp spots, low meadows and the edges of ponds where tulips would rot. Plant the bulbs quickly after buying, because they have no protective skin and dry out easily.

9. Tulips

• Zones 3–8 (9–10 with pre-chilling)
• Depth 6–8 in
• Spacing 4–6 in
• Blooms mid to late spring

No flower says spring quite like a tulip. Many large hybrid tulips bloom brilliantly in their first year and then fade, so many gardeners treat them as annuals and replant each autumn. If you’d like tulips that return, choose Darwin hybrids or species tulips such as Tulipa clusiana and T. tarda, plant them deep (8 inches), and give them full sun and sharp drainage. In zones 6 and warmer, buy tulips in September and store them somewhere cool and dry until mid-October, because planting too early in warm soil can trigger autumn growth.

10. Dutch Iris

• Zones 5–9
• Depth 4–5 in
• Spacing 3–4 in
• Blooms late spring

Dutch iris have elegant blue, purple, white and yellow flowers on slim, 18- to 24-inch stems, and they’re among the best cut flowers you can grow from a bulb. They fill the gap between the tulips fading and early summer perennials opening. In zone 5, cover them with a few inches of mulch after the ground freezes.

11. Ornamental Alliums

• Zones 4–8 (most types)
• Depth 3× bulb height (6–8 in for large types)
• Spacing 8–12 in for giants
• Blooms late spring to early summer

Alliums are ornamental onions with purple, white or pink globes on tall stems, from golf-ball size (‘Drumstick’) to the size of a soccer ball (‘Globemaster’). Bees love them, and deer and rodents avoid them because of their oniony smell. Their leaves often start to yellow as the flowers open, so tuck them behind leafy perennials such as catmint or hardy geraniums to hide the foliage.

12. Ranunculus

• Zones 8–10 for fall planting
• Depth 2 in
• Spacing 6 in
• Blooms spring

Ranunculus have layer upon layer of tissue-thin petals, like a rose crossed with a peony. In mild-winter zones, autumn planting gives the biggest plants and the most stems. Soak the claw-shaped corms for three to four hours, then plant them with the “claws” pointing down. In zones 7 and colder, plant them in a cold frame, or wait until late winter and start them indoors.

13. Pansies and Violas

• Zones Grown as cool-season annuals; overwinter in about zones 6–10
• Plant nursery transplants
• Spacing 6–8 in
• Blooms fall, then again in spring

Pansies and violas are the rare flower you get to enjoy twice. Plant them in September and they bloom through autumn, hunker down in winter, then burst back with new flowers as soon as days lengthen. Violas are smaller-flowered but tougher and more cold-hardy. Plant them over your bulbs as a living ground cover. The bulbs will come up right through them.

14. Hellebores (Lenten Rose)

• Zones 4–9
• Plant potted perennials, crown at soil level
• Spacing 18 in
• Blooms late winter to spring

Hellebores are long-lived, evergreen perennials for shade. Their saucer-shaped flowers in white, pink, plum and near-black last for weeks, sometimes months. Early autumn is an excellent time to plant potted hellebores, since warm soil and cooler air help them root in before winter. Don’t plant them deeper than they sat in the nursery pot. All parts are toxic, which keeps deer and rabbits away.

15. Wallflowers (Erysimum)

• Zones 5–8 (as a biennial)
• Plant young plants
• Spacing 10–12 in
• Blooms mid to late spring

English wallflowers are a cottage-garden classic with a warm, spicy, clove-like scent. Plants set out in early autumn grow roots and leaves before winter and then flower in spring in shades of orange, gold, burgundy and cream. They’re the traditional partner for tulips. Try orange wallflowers under dark purple tulips for a combination that stops people on the sidewalk.

4. Quick Planting Cheat Sheet

5. How to Plant Bulbs So They Actually Bloom

1. Pick a spot that drains. Standing water is the number one bulb killer. If a puddle lingers after rain, choose another spot or plant in a raised bed or container. (Checkered lilies are the exception.)
2. Dig to the right depth. The rule of thumb from Iowa State University Extension is two to three times the bulb’s diameter: about 6 to 8 inches for tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, and 3 to 4 inches for small bulbs like crocus and squill.
3. Point up. Set bulbs with the pointed tip facing up and the flat root plate down. If you can’t tell, lay it on its side. The stem will find its way.
4. Plant in groups, not rows. Dig one wide hole and plant 7, 11 or 25 bulbs together. Clusters look far more natural and much fuller than a single line of soldiers.
5. Feed at planting, not after bloom. Mix a bulb fertilizer or a tablespoon of bone meal into the bottom of each hole. Skip fertilizing once flowers open: Rutgers notes that feeding bulbs after bloom begins can encourage bulb rot.
6. Water once, well. A thorough soaking settles the soil and starts root growth. After that, autumn rain is usually enough.
7. Mulch after the ground freezes. Two to three inches of shredded leaves or bark keeps the soil evenly cold and prevents freeze-thaw cycles from heaving small bulbs out of the ground.
8. Mark the spot. Push in a label or a few twigs so you don’t slice through bulbs while planting something else in spring.

6. Keeping Squirrels, Voles and Deer Away

Nothing is more discouraging than finding empty holes the morning after planting. Tulips and crocus are the favorite snacks; daffodils, alliums, snowdrops, squill and grape hyacinths are almost never touched.

• Clean up after yourself. Squirrels are drawn by the smell of fresh digging and papery bulb skins left on the surface. Pick up the skins and firm the soil well.
• Lay chicken wire. Place a sheet of chicken wire or hardware cloth flat over the planted area just under the mulch. Stems grow through the openings; squirrels can’t dig through.
• Use sharp grit for voles. A handful of coarse gravel or crushed oyster shell in each hole makes tunneling uncomfortable.
• Mix in the toxic ones. Surround tulip clusters with daffodils or alliums, which many gardeners find deters grazing.
• Go easy on bone meal where dogs roam. Its smell can attract dogs and wildlife to dig. Use a bagged bulb fertilizer instead.

7. Planting Spring Bulbs in Pots

No garden bed? Bulbs are made for containers. Try the “bulb lasagna” method: in a large, deep pot with drainage holes, plant tulips or alliums at the bottom, cover with soil, add a layer of daffodils or hyacinths, more soil, then crocus or grape hyacinths near the top. Finish with violas on the surface. You’ll get about three months of color from one pot.

Potted bulbs need a cold winter too, but the soil in a pot freezes harder than the ground does. In zones 6 and colder, move pots into an unheated garage or shed for the coldest months, or group them against a sheltered wall and wrap them in burlap. In spring, lift the finished pots onto an outdoor plant stand by the front door, where they’ll drain freely and the flowers sit at eye level.

For winter color indoors, pot up pre-chilled hyacinths or paperwhites and grow them on an indoor plant stand near a bright, cool window. September is also when holiday cacti start the cool, dark routine that sets flower buds. Our guide to making your Christmas cactus bloom again walks you through it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your September To-Do List

The best flowers to plant in September depend on your zone, but the plan is the same everywhere. Buy firm bulbs early while the selection is best. Plant small bulbs, snowdrops, hellebores and pansies now. Hold tulips until the soil drops below 60°F, and pre-chill them if you garden in zones 9 or 10. Plant in generous clusters, at the right depth, in soil that drains.

Your next step: pick one early, one mid-season and one late-blooming flower from this list and sketch where they’ll go this weekend. For more ideas, browse our roses and flowering plants collection. Come March, you’ll be glad you did.